List of Best Natural Remedies to Soothe Your Dog’s Allergic Reactions

Finding natural remedies for dog allergies can be the best step that you could take towards healing your dog’s condition as well as improving their overall health. Not only will it provide relief from the various irritating and annoying symptoms of dog allergies, it will help improve their immune and digestive functions. We are not saying that the use of natural remedies do not have its own risks as most companies do. These ingredients also need to be used in their proper amounts as an overdose or wrong use can also lead to health problems.

What is good about them however is that they do not pose the same health risks that pharmaceutical and conventional allergy treatments have towards the organs and the health of your dog?

Remember that dogs, just like us, need natural food and treatment in order for their bodies to thrive. The presence of a wide variety of nutrients in their composition allows the natural body to function more properly and to heal properly. You may not be able to see immediate results, as you can experience with synthetic drugs, but they can provide a longer effectively compared to conventional drugs.

Aside from that, they also help to address other health concerns such as digestion and circulation. Going for a more holistic approach to your dog’s treatment can provide you with better results in the end aside from the fact that they also cost a lot cheaper.

There are plenty of common allergies that could be responsible for your dog’s suffering, so please read our article on what those common dog allergies are so you can help your dog find the best treatment.

Methods of using natural remedies for dog allergies

There are different ways in which you could apply or use these natural remedies on your dog’s allergy. The method will usually rely on the type or “school” of treatment that you prefer. You can choose between dietary, traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathic treatments, soaks and baths, and even the use of acupuncture.

So whether you have a large amount of time or if you need to hurry to go to work, there are natural treatment options for you. What you would need though is the resources and the availability of the products right on hand and most of the time, they may be sitting in your home without you knowing it.

If you want to take the dietary way then you would only have to remove or add a specific food to your pet’s diet. This includes adding some vitamins or supplements as well to your pet’s food in order to provide the nutrients that they need.

Another method is through the use of traditional medicine which involves the use of herbs or other unconventional ingredients in order to treat the disease. One of the most commonly used method is traditional Chinese medicine which is based on the principles of Yin and Yang. Chinese herbs are commonly used in order to get the “balance” between the hot and cold effects on the body.

Homeopathic approaches have some similarities in its application with traditional medicine although the difference is that you will have to make use of some unconventional ingredients. Since homeopathy is based on the idea that “like treats like,” you can expect the use of powdered fleas or dried dog saliva with rabies as a type of cure.

If you are quite sensitive with this stuff then perhaps you may try the soaks and baths which involve more normal ingredients. You will make use of tinctures, oils, and essences of herbs as well as salts and other types of natural ingredients. Lastly, you can choose acupuncture treatments for your dog. Now, you may think that it could be hard to get your dog to lie down or sit still during the treatment, but the fact is that your dog will actually be put into a kind of daze or stupor by putting needles in the proper acupuncture points.

Benefits of natural remedies:

Lesser or no risks of side-effects. One of the best things about using natural remedies is that the amount of health risks are minimized or even removed. This is due to the fact the only natural ingredients are used which the body can recognize and assimilate without causing a lot of negative reaction. Aside from that, they also contain additional nutrients which help to balance the effects and the body’s reaction to the said remedy. Since natural remedies are not highly processed, you can expect to get other nutrients together with main ingredient.

Easy to find. Although this may not hold true for some ingredients, most can be easily gotten at home and this makes them an easy go-to whenever you are in need of an allergy treatment.
This is true since most of the treatment ingredients used are also staples for everyday use such as salt, vinegar, oats, etc. In the case of herbal medicines, they can also be easily bought from health or natural food stores as well as from traditional Chinese medicine stores. However, more exotic ingredients such as those used for homeopathy can only be found on homeopathic practitioners or centers.

Cheaper than conventional allergy medicine. Aside from providing your dog with other nutritional benefits, natural remedies for dog allergies also cost a lot less compared to the hundreds of dollars that you will have to spend not only for visiting the vet but also for the various sets of treatments that you will have to buy.
Most of these home remedies for dog allergies will only cost you a few dollars whereas pharmaceutical drugs will cost you hundreds. Aside from that, you will also have to purchase a month or a year’s worth of supply which will definitely cost a lot in the end.

However, it’s always important that you have your pet tested first before you try these solutions. You can find out more about what the process entails in our article about having your dog tested for allergies.

Your natural treatment options

There are several ways and treatments that you can choose from in order to treat your dog’s allergies. Some of them are directed towards the immediate symptoms while others help to improve your dog’s overall health and hence help it fight against their unstable immune system, which is the root cause of the allergy.

Remember that these treatments may not act as quickly as conventional medication but you can be sure that the process to healing has already started. It is therefore important to continue applying the natural medication and wait for days or weeks to see the results that you want.

There are some options need to be considered:

Epsom salts. This is definitely one of the most well-known treatments that is available not only for humans but for dogs as well. Their main use for treating allergies is in their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. They help minimize the consequent itching and flaking of the skin by eliminating the bacteria that is present and therefore aiding the body in the healing process.
Epsom salts are also known for removing toxins from the body. By helping your dog dispose of said toxins, their immune functions are improved as well as their overall health. To use, pour a cup of Epsom salts in a tub half-filled with warm or cold water and let your dog soak for 5 to 10 minutes.

Apple Cider vinegar – Apple cider vinegar is also another popular natural treatment for various human ailments but you can use it for dog allergies as well. If your dog has a tick or flea allergy, then this ingredient should be your number one priority.
You can also use it in a number of ways: (1) add one teaspoon to every quart of water that your dog drinks, (2) create a one-is-to-one ratio of the vinegar and water and use that either as a last rinse on your dog’s bath or as a spray for hotspots and other problem areas except for the ears and the eyes, (3) and lastly, use in pure form to provide relief from itching and hotspots.

Oatmeal – Oatmeal has several properties that make them an ideal treatment for skin allergies or for manifestations of the allergy on your dog’s skin. First, it has antibacterial properties that help to remove the presence of any bacterial infection. Second, it helps to slough off the flaky skin that dogs develop during allergies. Third, it contains glycoproteins that help to provide moisturizing effects on the skin making it feel less itchy for your dog.
These glycoproteins are also the reason why you should take extra care in applying this treatment. Their sugar content will help the bacteria to propagate if left after rinsing. Boil 1 cup oatmeal into 3 to 4 cups of water and then let it cool. Use the water to rinse your dog or scrub the sludge on your dog and then rinse with cold water.

Fatty acids – This is perhaps one of the most significant treatments that you can provide for your dog since they address not only the symptoms of dog allergies but the underlying causes as well. Essential fatty acids can be found mainly in fishes and nut oils so if you want to go more natural, you can simply feed these types of foods to your dog.
But, if you want a more concentrated effect then you will need them in capsule form. You can either apply the oil directly on the affected skin, add them on your dog’s food, or allow them to swallow it whole. Essential fatty acids help to improve the immune system, control inflammation, fight bacteria and fungi, and provide moisturizing effects on the skin.

Herbs – Now this can come in a lot of forms: tinctures, essential oils, teas, dried and powdered leaves and other parts, as well as in the form of soaks and baths. Herbal concoctions are also available in which you can find a wider range of benefits.
Some of the more commonly used herbs for treating dog allergies are calendula, Echinacea, lavender, rosehips, chamomile, nettle, aloe vera, comfrey, juniper, peppermint, and various tree barks such as cedar and oak which are good for repelling fleas. These can be applied as tinctures, baths, capsules, or they can be added to your dog’s diet as supplements.

Homeopathic treatments– Homeopathic therapies are based on the principle that like treats like. Hence, they make use of herbs or other ingredients that can bring about the same reactions as those that your dog is experiencing and use that to combat the allergy. Their approach is to dilute the ingredient in water to the desired effectiveness and then give that to your dog to be ingested.
They can also be given in capsules and the contents diluted in your dog’s meal or drink. Although some of the ingredients may seem to be quite untraditional such as dog fleas and animal parts, they do produce some desirable results. This however, is an option that dog owners will decide on individually.

Acupuncture – Although we often associate this type of traditional treatment only with humans, veterinarians have created their own maps of animal bodies in which they can stimulate the same nerve areas and produce the desired results.
Your dog will be put into a kind of stupor or daze in which they will easily lie or sit and allow the vet to place the needles in the necessary areas which can trigger the nerves and produce the necessary chemicals and reactions that will inhibit inflammation. This type of treatment is often used in conjunction with traditional Chinese herbal medicine in order to gain the best results.

When push comes to shove, however, your dog may still be experiencing some discomfort when it comes to his itchy skin. Why not consider our article on the best dog allergy shampoos? It could be just what your pooch needs.

Advantages of natural remedies over synthetic drugs

There are several advantages in using natural remedies instead of pharmaceutical drugs in treating dog allergies. One of them is that they don’t develop dependencies on the treatment. Natural remedies help to improve your dog’s immune system so they can slowly regain their own body’s defense against the allergy and not rely on it for a long time.

Allergy medications on the other hand will only address your dog’s symptoms immediately, but with side-effects that can make them dependent on the drug as they tend to worsen the symptoms in the long run due to the suppression of the immune system functions.

Aside from that, synthetic drugs also tend to negatively affect the functions of the other organs such as the liver and the kidney. Since these contain substances which cannot be assimilated by the body, these substances can accumulate in the liver where they are “screened” and in the liver as well. This in turn will affect the efficiency of these organs and will affect the overall “cleaning” system of the body.

If these organs are not functioning well, then the entire body will suffer with various toxic wastes running throughout the body through the bloodstream. In some way, these drugs tend to “overload” your dog’s system making it quite unable to cope with the new demands that these drugs are putting on it.

Final thoughts and recommendations

It is important to remember that your dog’s body can only function at its optimum level without future health risks if they are given the proper natural ingredients that their body can use to heal itself. Unlike synthetic drugs, these treatments only contain biological components that the body can recognize and assimilate without causing further harm on their bodies.

Aside from that, they are not processed with toxic ingredients that are commonly found in synthetic drugs. Modern synthetic drugs are often processed or produced with toxic chemicals and ingredients that are not even fit for human consumption.

Another thing to keep in mind is that your dog’s allergy has developed over time and treating it will also take a significant amount of time. An allergy is caused by a faulty immune system and in order to stop it, you will have to fix your dog’s immune system. As we all know, healing in biological things will require some significant amount of time in order to set things right. Synthetic drugs may appear to cure things easily, but what you don’t understand is that it only targets the outward symptoms of the allergy and not the health of the immune system itself.

What would you rather have, instant relief with long-term side effects or a slow process of healing which will remedy the root cause of the problem? Would you rather that your pet suffers for a little while now or that he suffer worse problems in the end?

Natural remedies for dog allergies are your best option in terms of dealing with these types of problems. They offer you several advantages that you may not know of. First, they provide additional health benefits for your dog. Second, they pose lesser health risks. Third, they are significantly cheaper than pharmaceutical medications.

Lastly, they help to target the root cause of your dog’s allergy that is the immune system and help that regain its former ability to function properly. They help to strengthen what is weak in order to give your dog their own defense from allergic reaction instead of relying every time on an external drug to treat the symptoms. Getting your dog’s health back should not be done at the cost of a very expensive treatment or of sacrificing his future health for immediate relief.

Wyatt Robinson had a great 25-years career as a veterinarian in United Kingdom. He used to be a member of British Veterinary Association and worked in 3 pet hospitals in London and Manchester. He is shining when he sees his pets healthy and full of energy and it is his duty to help other dog owners to keep their best friends full of life.

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